Two more candidates, and first woman, enter city council race (with video)

A baker’s dozen, including the first female candidate, are now in the race for one of Windsor city council’s 10 ward seats up for grabs in the fall election.

“There’s absolutely an imbalance there … we need that diversity,” Remy Boulbol said of why more women are needed on council.

Boubol, the executive director of the Rose City Islamic Centre, became the first candidate on Wednesday to register in Ward 4, which is currently represented by Alan Halberstadt. On the same day, Daniel William Speal became the first candidate to file his candidacy for Ward 7, which has been represented by Irek Kusmierczyk since a byelection win in December.

There are now 13 candidates in the council race — one for each ward except for Ward 10, which has four hopefuls so far. None of the current incumbents has formally declared, although some are expected to either run for mayor or retire from municipal politics.

Ernie The Bacon Man is the only declared candidate so far for the mayor’s job, which Eddie Francis said he’ll be vacating at the end of his current four-year term. The final day for filing nominations is Sept. 12 at 2 p.m.

With a new mayor and the prospect of “quite a few” new councillors with incumbents vacating seats, Boulbol said it’s a good time to present “bold new leadership, with new ideas and a new direction.” While Windsor has been “served really well” by those currently in office, she said it’s “time for something new … change is not a bad thing.”

Boulbol, 36, is a married mother of two girls, ages six and eight, and most recently ran unsuccessfully to carry the Liberal banner into last summer’s Windsor-Tecumseh provincial byelection, won by former city councillor Percy Hatfield for the NDP.

Boulbol, who helped reestablish Neighborhood Watch in her corner of Walkerville, said her focus is on “community development” and that she wants to see more done for small businesses. She’d also like to see council revisit its decision to outsource the internal auditor’s function. Born in Michigan, Boulbol holds dual citizenship and has lived in Windsor the past 13 years.

Boulbol said she works with Windsor’s most vulnerable and helps them “come together to take care of each other … the good old-fashioned way.” She announcing early because she intends to knock on every door in the ward at least twice and canvass residents on “exactly what they want.”

Ward 6 Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac, the only woman on council this past term, said Wednesday she hasn’t made up her mind yet on the coming election.

While “always impressed with the talent shown by women in Windsor,” she added that the important thing for voters is to “choose the person who’s going to represent you best, whether it’s a man or a woman.

“I think we need good people on council. Period,” Gignac said.

University of Windsor political scientist Cheryl Collier does see a problem with the dearth of women around Windsor’s council table.

“I think it would be better to have more women running and more women getting elected … there should always be variety and diversity on all scales,” she said.

And while “incumbency is huge” in drawing votes on election day, Collier said “refreshing” council with new people can be positive.

Windsor city council table might be a man’s world, but the bureaucracy that runs the municipality is being increasingly led by women.

With chief administrative officer Helga Reidel at the top, community development and health is run by commissioner Jelena Payne, the city clerk is Valerie Critchley, and Shelby Askin Hager was recently appointed to the city solicitor’s spot; Lee Anne Doyle is Windsor’s chief building official and a number of other executive director and senior managerial positions are held by women.

Collier said the level of public scrutiny could be a major factor in that discrepancy between Windsor city hall’s political and administrative makeup.

“If you’re in the public eye all the time, it can be difficult,” said Collier, adding success in the bureaucracy is based on merit, while in politics it’s “how likeable you are — it’s a different skill set.”

Speal is the only declared council candidate so far who hasn’t left contact information with the city clerk’s office.

Remy Boulbol files her election papers with Chuck Scarpelli, manager of records and elections, at city hall in Windsor on Wednesday, February 19, 2014. Boubol is the first woman to enter the race for city council. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)

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